Our First Day Teaching

Our day started out great. We ate a delicious breakfast (porridge and bananas). After reviewing our script and figuring out what everyone was doing we took a taxi to the school we were teaching at. It was a little out in the country i would say, but it was worth it. Everyone met the principle and the coordinator. They brought us orange Fanta to drink as we reviewed and everyone became more nervous. We were told we would start teaching one class of 40 students. Finally we went to the classroom and it started all at once. No one knew what to expect so it was very exciting. The schools in India are very proper. The students stood as the 8 of us walked in and every time they were asked a question. At first they seemed a little shy and would not raise their hands or answer questions, but after a while they were a lot better: especially after breaking into the little groups. After we taught, we talked to the students and took pictures with them. They were very excited to meet Americans and kept asking when we would be back. They even made us feels more appreciated by taking out their books and journals and asking us for our autographs. Finally we went back to the hotel and discussed how well the day went. We all agreed it could not have gone any better. Then we cooled of and ate lunch, but no pepper steak so we had more indian food. After that Me and Kyla went shopping and had a lot of fun exploring the city. There is so much here to take in, its hard to explain everything. I think later we are getting dinner, going to the beach one last time, and then heading to bed early because Ben, Kyla, Lindsey, and I have to be up at 5 tommorrow to catch our train to Maduri. Hope everyone is doing well. Its Amazing here and everything is going great.
Kristyn




Mamallapuram has been amazing!! I love this place, it's almost like paradise! The first day here we just explored - did some shopping and ate some really good food. I've got to say the Indian food is good, but I do miss food back home! The beach is a little dirty, but it's a beach and that makes me happy! Today was our first day teaching and it went great. Schools are so different here than back home. It was hard at first, Lindsey opened up and the first time she asked a question the students didn't respond. We had practiced our script at local schools back home before our trip, so I guess we expected to get responses like we did in Tucson. We asked if they knew what a lifeguard was or does and got no response, it was kind of funny but when you think about it that's not a common job here. Although, while laying out on the beach today we did see and hear a lifeguard blow their whistle (woohoo). Anyways, we learned later that in order to get the students to respond to a question we must address them, they have to stand up and either say I don't know or answer. They also don't sit back down until you say they can. So that was really different, especially from schools in Tucson. The students are so bright, they picked up on CPR really quick and that was really exciting. Afterwards, they offered us delicious Chai and asked us for our autographs. They made us feel like celebrities :) Bree, Drew, Rick and I will be returning to that same school, so hopefully we'll get to see our friends again. I'm looking forward to more teaching - it's a different, yet an awesome experience! The language barrier is makes it difficult, but we make it happen! Ben, Lindsey, Kristyn and Kyla leave tomorrow, so tonight we'll be our last night together :( Slowly our big group is dwindling down. It's sad...this is seriously such a great group! Hope all is well back home...
<3 Lea

A Nice Change

Bree, Lindsey, Ben, Ric, Drew, Kristyn, Kyla, and Lea arrived in Mahabalipuram this morning around 10:00 am. The weather is perfect and it is a beautiful little town near the beach. We were all excited to see some non-Indian and seafood choices on the menu. We spent morning shopping and looking around town as Ben, Bree, and Lindsey finalized the teaching arrangements for next week with our Indian contact, E.K. He was very helpful and kind. It looks as though the plans are pretty solid and we will be able to teach many kids, including some that attend a tsunami surviver school (ironic?) We spent the afternoon visiting temples in the surrounding area. The intricate stone carvings were stunning and it was amazing to see how well they were preserved even post-tsunami. The local Indians were VERY interested in us: we shook too many hands to count and took numerous pictures with them. We look foward to a lovely dinner in one of the beachside restaurants. Lindsey and Kristyn are a little sad to have to leave this paradise in a couple days but are very excited for Maduri. Hope everyone reading had a happy new year,
Lindsey and Kristyn

We made it!

So we got off the train this morning at 9:30am and are now in Ernakulam. It is so beautiful here. There are palm trees everywhere, and we even saw some rivers on our way into town. Everyone is so nice! They're still celebrating New Years here, so we'll see about joining in tonight! We will start teaching tomorrow and we'll keep you posted, and hopefully we will be able to share some of our pictures!
~Nicole, Matt, Jenna, Shawn, and Erin

our first day in India

My first day in India!

So, today we arrived in Chennai, India at 1 am. We waited in the airport for several hours due to lost baggage, and then made our way out to find a taxi. It was one of the scariest rides I've ever had. There seem to be no traffic laws here and everyone runs red lights. Of course my taxi got a flat tire and the driver left us all inside, so Shawn jumped out to make sure nobody was going to run off with our stuff in the trunk. Then we all got out and Matt, Shawn, and the drive changed the tire as cars and trucks with strange loads zoomed by. After that experience our driver got lost and around 5am we are stopping to ask every Indian we can find for directions, but we made it.

Later in the day after a short nap, and a much needed and wanted shower, we enjoyed breakfast (toast wrapped in egg) and headed out for a peek at India. We walked the streets for a while. The sites were nice but the smell was not so nice. There were so many shops and so many people out, and the children loved us. They stopped and wanted their picture taken and everyone wanted to meet us. In the afternoon we went to the beach. It was beautiful and the weather was great. We played there and meet some new friends from the near by University. Everyone is so nice here!

Tonight my group catches the train (12hours). Until we get to our next destination; Happy New Years!!!
~Nicole

Greetings from Chennai

We've all finally made it to Chennai safe and sound. The trip to London was nice. London was cold but also very pretty with all the buildings decorated for Christmas. We arrived in Chennai this morning at 1am and almost made it to the hotel without any drama, but then British Airways lost Erin's luggage, and then Matt's taxi got a flat tire on a very dark street in the middle of the night! Regardless, all is well with everyone. Matt, Jenna, Nicole, Erin, and Shawn leave for Kerala this evening on an overnight train. They'll try to make the most of New Year's Eve though. The rest of us leave for Mamallapuram in the morning. We'll keep you informed.

- Ben

The Terrorist Attacks in Mumbai

This past week, Swim India's upcoming programs have been overshadowed by the terrible terrorist attacks that rocked Mumbai. Many people lost their lives in this tragedy and a whole country is now in mourning. It will be months before the full repercussions of last week's events are fully realized and, although we don't know how this incident will affect our organization's future, we are continuing with our program plans for January.

While we are in India, we will be taking a number of precautions in order to minimize the risk to our volunteers. First, we will be travelling in two states, Kerala and Tamil Nadu. These states have some of the safest track records in all of India. We will be sticking to smaller towns for the most part, never closer than 600 miles from Mumbai. Also, we will be avoiding any high profile targets such as government buildings, resort hotels, and fancy restaurants. Our volunteers will always travel in groups, avoid public mass transit systems, and minimize the amount of time spent outside after dark.

India has also taken measures to ensure the safety of its citizens and visitors. In the shadow of these attacks, India has increased its security and intelligence nationwide. Pakistan has been assisting in the investigation and has pledged any support India needs to bring these terrorist cells to justice.

Swim India will continue to monitor events as they unfold over the next few months and will adjust its future programs accordingly. We are committed to making our volunteers' safety our top priority. You may check our website and blog for updates as we become aware of them. Please keep the people of India in your thoughts as they come to terms with a changing world.

Regards,
Ben Schaub
Executive Director

At Least You Don't Work Here...

Just another day at a public swimming pool in China!!